Much research has been done to develop better methods of applying coatings, or thin films, to various types of articles. Purposes for adding a coating on an article include improving wear resistance, reducing friction, improving heat resistance, and enhancing or providing electrical conductivity. Thin film deposition is an important procedure in manufacture of microelectronics components. Thin film deposition is presently done using ion-beam-assisted deposition, which has limited deposition rates and requires large processing chamber space and two separate ion guns at large angles to the normal of the substrate to produce oriented films.
An object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for depositing a highly adherent coating.
Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for rapidly producing thin films of superior smoothness.
A further object is to provide an apparatus for thin film deposition on electrically non-conductive substrates.
A still further object of this invention is to provide an apparatus capable of producing coatings of crystalline materials having specific crystal orientations rather than randomly oriented structures.
An additional object of this invention is to provide an ion gun capable of depositing a coating comprised of any material which can be vaporized.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide an ion source which can be used to clean a substrate before the same source is used to apply a coating.
Another object of this invention is to provide a charge neutral ion beam.